Hiccup (the voice of Jay Baruchel) and Toothless the lovable dragon return for another round of computer-animated magic—this time with a slightly darker tone. How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a great-looking, fun movie, and after watching it at home, I regret missing it on the big screen in 3-D.
The film picks up five years after the initial film, with dragons and Vikings now living together in peace. That peace is threatened when Hiccup and Toothless stumble upon ruthless dragon-trappers who want Toothless as a prize for their villainous leader, Drago (the voice of Djimon Hounsou). Along the way, Hiccup is reunited with his long-lost mother, voiced by Cate Blanchett.
The movie has some nasty moments involving Toothless that might freak your kids out—and might freak you out. Director and co-writer Dean DeBlois was apparently going for an Empire Strikes Back vibe, and he succeeds, in that the movie exudes an impending sense of doom. Let’s just say some of your kids will learn about death while watching this one.
A third Dragon is indeed on the way, slated for release in 2017. This sequel is a better movie than the first one was, so more installments are most certainly welcome.
Special Features: This is a nicely packed Blu-ray, featuring a behind-the-scenes look (that’s nearly an hour long) to go along with plenty of deleted scenes and a director’s commentary.